Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Fisnics Salmon Ice.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Fisnics Salmon Icexe2x80x99.
The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany and Galder, Gran Canaria, Spain. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new medium-sized Impatiens cultivars with an early to medium flowering response and large rounded flowers with attractive coloration.
The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor during the spring of 1999 of the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Fisnics Red, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,226, as the female, or seed, parent with the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Danharwt, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Fisnics Salmon Ice was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Galder, Gran Canaria, Spain in April, 2000.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Galder, Gran Canaria, Spain, since July, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Fisnics Salmon Icexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Fisnics Salmon Icexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Impatiens cultivar:
1. Outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; small to medium growth habit.
2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.
3. Medium green-colored foliage.
4. Large, rounded, light red-colored flowers with white-colored centers; flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage.
Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Fisnics Red. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Fisnics Red in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Impatiens were smaller than plants of the cultivar Fisnics Red.
2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Fisnics Red.
3. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens were light red in color with white-colored centers whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Fisnics Red were red in color.
Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Danharwt. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Danharwt in flower color as plants of the cultivar Danharwt had white-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of the cultivar BFP-650 Peach, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,108. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar BFP-650 Peach in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Impatiens were smaller than plants of the cultivar BFP-650 Peach.
2. Plants of the new Impatiens had lighter green-colored leaves than plants of the cultivar BFP-650 Peach.
3. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar BFP-650 Peach.
4. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar BFP-650 Peach differed in flower coloration.